#LGS2Corrupted #LGS2chapter15 #LaGrilla2

***
SANAY na si Curtis na masyadong busy ang best friend niyang si Mosa para sa kaniya. Hindi na sila katulad noong high school pa sila na nakakapag-asaran tuwing klase, sabay mag-recess, o 'di kaya'y magkasamang tumatambay kung saan man nila mapag-trip-an na tumambay. Idagdag pa na mula noong nagka-boyfriend na ito, ay halos wala na itong oras para sa kaniya.

Bilang respeto sa relasyon nina Mosa at Claude ay hindi na nakikiagaw pa si Curtis sa oras ng dalaga. Kontento na rin naman siya na hindi nakalilimot si Mosa sa pagiging mag-best friend nila kahit papaano. Anytime he would initiate their get-together or visit her at the Student Council Office, she would graciously entertain him. When she had the time, she would chat with him on the phone for an hour or two.

Yet maybe, her absence weighed heavier because Curtis knew that he should have been by her side during times like this—times when Mosa possibly felt so weary from her student council duties and studies; when she felt so alone due to her cheating boyfriend being so distant to her.

If only Mosa knew how much he needed her too—her comforting embrace and soothing words. Because as a result of his confrontation with Claude, all his memory cards were gone. They were taken from his bag by his brother and disposed in a manner he wasn't aware of.

Hinabol niya ito nang tangayin ang kaniyang bag, pero dahil siguro atleta si Claude ay naungusan siya nito. Curtis wearily wept for his miserable fate at the balcony across the door of the classroom where his next class should be. Doon din ibinalik ng isa sa mga basketball player na alipores ni Claude ang kaniyang bag. At nang malaman mula sa paghahalungkat na nawala na ang plastic canister ng kaniyang mga memory card, napagtanto na niya kung ano ang posibleng ginawa ni Claude sa mga iyon. He held back his tears as he shook in anger silently. Wala na siyang hawak na ebidensiya kaya paano pa niya makokompronta si Freya kung napunta sa wala ang pagkausap niya kay Claude?

Bukod sa sex video ni Claude at ng Freya na iyon ay kasama sa mga nadispatsa ang mga importanteng larawan at video, katulad na lamang ng mga kuha mula sa photoshoot ni Mosa. Kaya nag-ipon pa siya ng lakas ng loob bago sikaping makausap nang personal ang best friend niya ukol dito.

Ngunit, sa hindi rin malamang dahilan, tila nag-iba rin ng routine si Mosa. Nagsimula ang pagbabagong ito mga dalawang araw pagkatapos niya itong ilibre ng chocolate ice cream. Hindi niya ito nadadatnan sa Student Council Office sa mga oras na nakasanayan niyang naroon ang dalaga. Hindi niya na rin ito naaabutan sa canteen tuwing lunch break. Mosa rarely responded to Curtis' texts or messages either. He desperately wanted to tell her about the lost photos for her project in person.

Minsan, naisip niyang pumunta sa gymnasium kung saan nagse-setup ang mga student council officers para sa Valentine's Ball. But he would remember that on the rare occassion—and the last time—that Mosa replied to his texts, she said that she was so busy she didn't want to be disturbed this week.

Huli na nang namalayan ni Curtis na dalawang araw na lang bago ang Valentine's Ball.

***

CURTIS was standing by the balcony across the door of the room where his next class would be. Nagpapahangin siya rito kasama ang ilang mga kaklase habang naghihintay sa oras ng kanilang klase.

Isa ang araw na ito sa mga madalang na okasyon na nakikita niya mula sa malayo si Mosa. Sa pagkakataong ito, kitang-kita niya na sinasabayan ang dalaga ni Claude sa paglalakad.

Hindi nililingon ni Mosa si Claude. Hindi siya sigurado, pero parang hindi rin nito tinutugon ang lalaki na panay ang kausap dito.

He heard the low murmurs of some of his classmates. Ang pinakamalinaw ay mula sa tatlong magkakaibigang babae na kahati niya sa balkonaheng tinatambayan.

"Napapadalas ang LQ, e, no?"

"Masyado kasing busy siguro!"

"Tama bang magtampuhan dahil busy? Hindi ba dapat expected na nila 'yan? Like, if you date a SC President or a varsity player, dapat nauunawaan na nila na may times na magiging busy sila, hindi ba?"

Curtis kept his eyes on Mosa and Claude while his ears were busy eavesdropping. Sa pagkakataong ito, humarang bigla si Claude mula sa nilalakaran ni Mosa. Nang mapatigil ang dalaga at mapatingin sa binata ay naglahad ito ng isang kamay. Curtis knew his brother's mannerisms somehow. Base sa hand gesture nito, malamang ay sinesermunan na nito si Mosa na huwag itong ipahiya sa harap ng maraming tao. Malamang ay nagyayaya itong makipag-usap sa mas pribadong lugar.

Umismid lang si Mosa at umiling. Her face turned to his direction and he held his breath when their eyes met.

For a moment, he felt vulnerable as if he was caught red-handed for meddling with someone else's business. He could have saved face by quickly looking away, but the power of her gaze was too strong it kept him where he was, where his eyes were looking at. Masyadong malayo si Mosa kaya hindi sigurado si Curtis kung bahagya ba siyang pinanliitan ng mga mata ng dalaga bago mabilis na nag-iwas ng tingin mula sa kaniya. Then Mosa stepped to her side, bumped Claude on the shoulder and walked past him.

Claude raised his eyes next. They burned with irritation.

Claude's fleeting eyes didn't even meet his gaze, making Curtis assume that his brother was probably upset because he gained the attention of everyone who were hanging around by the school building's balcony. Nakasimangot na naglakad ito pabalik sa direksiyon na pinanggalingan nito noong hinahabol si Mosa.

'Alam na siguro ni Mosa ang tungkol sa kanila ni Freya,' Curtis concluded. He took in a deep breath. 'Maybe, she just wants to deal with the heartache alone . . . kaya ayaw niya akong makita o makausap.'

Then, a realization made his eyes widen in fear.

'But what if, being busy is just her excuse? What if, iniiwasan na niya talaga ako dahil magkapatid kami ni Claude? Paano kung hindi na niya ako kausapin o kitain o pansinin pa kahit kailan para lang makalayo siya sa tarantado kong kapatid?'

Nanigas ang kaniyang mga panga habang galit na nakatitig sa kawalan.

"I have to talk to her," he murmured under his breath. 'At dahil dinispose na ng hayop kong kuya ang mga memory card sa bag ko nitong nakaraan, kailangan kong malaman kung paano o mula kanino niya nalaman ang tungkol kina Claude at Freya.'

***

PAGKATAPOS ng kaniyang klase, nagmamadaling dumeretso sa SC Office si Curtis. He rapped the door as if his life was on the line. Humahangos naman siyang pinagbuksan ng naka-eyeglasses na si Shayne. Katulad ng kaniyang nakasanayan, sinimangutan na naman siya nito.

"Si Mosa?" umaasa niyang tanong.

"We're in the middle of a meeting," malamig nitong tugon habang pinapasadahan siya ng mapanuring tingin.

"Hanggang ano'ng oras? I'll wait out here."

"Depende sa magiging takbo ng usapan. Don't worry. Sasabihin ko sa kan'ya na maghihintay ka rito sa labas." At hindi na hinintay pa ni Shayne ang sagot niya. He quickly, yet gently closed the heavy door.

Curtis nodded and took a mental note of what Shayne recently said. Mabagal na sumandal siya sa balkonahe na katapat ng pinto ng SC office at matiyagang naghintay rito.

While he was waiting, his hands restlessly and mindlessly fiddled with the lanyard of his camera that hung over his chest. His mind was racing with a lot of phrases he was rehearsing for the moment he could finally talk to Mosa. Dapat ay maaga na niyang kinausap ang dalaga tungkol sa nadispatsa niyang memory cards, ang napunta sa wala na photoshoot, at higit sa lahat, ay ang panloloko ni Claude dito. But he could not completely make up his mind because his well-devised plan all turned into dust.

It all did not work to his favor.

"What else is new?" Curtis murmured to himself. "Nothing ever works in my favor . . . nothing. Siguro, parusa ko ito, dahil bunga ako ng isang panloloko." He bit his lower lip and nodded convincingly to himself.

"Curtis."

Napapitlag siya sa narinig na boses ng isang lalaki. Paglingon niya, nakita niya si Kero Gonzales!

Kabarkada ito ng Kuya Claude niya. Kung ano'ng damot ng kapatid niya kay Mosa, ganoon din sa mga kaibigan nito. That was why he knew Kero Gonzales but on a surface level.

Curtis feigned a sense of unaffectedness. Umalis siya sa pagkakasandal sa balkonahe at hinarap ito. "Yes?"

"Gusto lang kitang kumustahin. Ano na ang nangyari sa inyo ng kuya mo?"

"You should have just asked him. Saves you the trouble from trying to look for me all over the place." Kahit naman kasi ipagtanong-tanong siya ni Kero sa mga nag-aaral dito, wala namang nakakakilala sa kaniya. He wasn't as famous as his brother, after all, and Claude probably made sure that no one could ever associate them with each other.

"Well, I never looked for you, but it seems like, circumstances allowed for us to meet so I can check on you," Kero shrugged. "So, again, how are you?"

He shrugged back. "As you can see, alive and unscathed."

Pinasadahan siya saglit ng tingin ni Kero bago ito nagpokus sa kaniyang mga mata. "Claude doesn't want to talk about it, but he's got eyes everywhere. Nagtalo ba kayo nitong nakaraan dahil may misunderstanding sila ng girlfriend niya?"

Napaiwas siya ng tingin dito. "If he doesn't want to talk about it, then why try to get answers from me? Relasyon nilang dalawa iyon. Hindi ako kasama roon."

"But aren't you friends with Mosa?"

"Please, stop," mariin niyang pakiusap, hindi makatingin dito. "Umalis ka na."

Naramdaman niya ang nagtatakang pagtitig sa kaniya ni Kero bago ito sumagot. "Okay. I'm glad that you seem . . . fine."

Nang nakaalis na si Kero ay muling nanumbalik ang katahimikan sa kaniyang kinatatayuan . . . at ang magulong ingay sa kaniyang isip. He rehearsed and rehearsed until the officers left the SC office. They gave him curious looks, except Shayne who suspiciously eyed him as he walked past him.

Nag-abang si Curtis pero hindi lumabas si Mosa. Napalunok tuloy siya at tila nanikip ang dibdib.

'Kung sinabi nga ni Shayne kay Mosa na maghihintay ako rito sa labas, posibleng nagpaiwan siya sa loob para doon kami makapag-usap,' he thought as he slowly neared the door. 'Kung ayaw makipag-usap ni Mosa, siguradong sasabay siya sa paglabas ng mga ka-officer niya. Puwede ring ipasabi niya kay Shayne na ayaw niya akong makita.'

His hand reached for the doorknob.

'But just to make sure . . .'

He held his breath and allowed the suspense to kill him a little more as he slowly turned the door knob.

When the door clicked open, he released a hitched sigh.

'It's not locked!'

Pumitik ang kaba sa kaniyang dibdib nang dahan-dahan niyang itinulak pabukas ang pinto. Sumilip siya sa maliit na awang iyon bago marahang pumasok.

The Student Council Office was well-lit. Malinis na iniwan ang common area nito kung saan may malaking mesa na may sapat na bilang ng mga upuan para sa mga officer. Burado na rin ang alinmang isinulat sa whiteboard sa pader na katapat ng mesang iyon. He had to walk past a divider before reaching the tables for the officers.

At the far end of the room, there was Mosa, sitting on her desk.

"Mosa," mahina niyang wika. Dahil kulong ang silid, pakiramdam niya ay dumagundong pa rin ang kaniyang boses, dagundong na kasinlakas ng pintig ng kaniyang tulirong puso.

Mosa lifted her lifeless eyes on him. "Upo ka, Curtis."

He swallowed, deeply affected by Mosa greeting him without a smile. There was not a single hint in her eyes that she was pleased with his presence.

Hindi napigilan ni Curtis ang magsalita na habang naglalakad pa lang siya palapit sa desk ng dalaga.

"Sinubukan ko talagang mataymingan ka. Kaya lang, parang nag-iba ang sched mo nitong nakaraan."

"I told you that I'll be busy, right?" This time, Mosa smiled. It intimidated him because the smile never reached her eyes.

"Y-Yes," he said as he adjusted his backpack to his lap, covering his camera, while occuping a monobloc chair. "I . . . I really need to talk to you, tungkol sa photoshoot."

"Oh." Mosa didn't sound that affected. Nakalimutan na ba nito ang mga litrato nito mula sa photoshoot nila para sa Valentine's Ball at customized school uniform nito? "Yeah. Right. What about it?"

He lowered his eyes, embarrassed. "Please, don't be mad . . . Na—" From how he rehearsed this conversation, Curtis was supposed to say what exactly happened. But at this moment, something else came out. "Nagloko kasi ang memory card ko. Hindi ko na ma-retrieve iyong files kaya . . ."

"Nagloko?" interesanteng hilig ni Mosa ng ulo. She eyed him as if she was inspecting him. "Narito ka para ipaalam sa akin na nagloko ang . . ."

She trailed off, as if intending for him to finish her sentence, so he did. ". . . ang memory card . .  ko." Then he quickly came up with a clarification. "Corrupted files."

Tumuwid ng pagkakaupo ang dalaga. "Okay. And I don't think we still have the time for another photoshoot, right? Kasi, busy na sigurado si Bridgette para makeup-an pa uli ako, plus, the Valentine's Ball will be in two days."

He swallowed and nodded. Kabadong-kabado siya pero nagtataka rin kung bakit parang hindi nawindang si Mosa sa ibinalita niya.

"I bet, you came here with a suggestion in mind. How can we solve this problem then?" she prodded.

He tried his best to regain his courage and raised his eyes to her. "I'll take photos of you at the exact night of the Valentine's Ball. Tutal, suot mo rin naman sa event iyong dress na kailangang kuhanan ng picture, right?"

"Won't there be any problem? Particularly with the lighting?" kunot ng noo nito. "Because, you know, I want the dress to be seen for what it exactly is, not overshadowed by the strobe lights or any kind of reflecting material."

Saglit na natulala siya sa dalaga. Humanga na naman sa talas ng isip nito para magkalkula ng pros and cons sa isang sitwasyon. Once he recovered from his stunned state, he swallowed and shrugged.

"Well . . . I've got a camera flash and . . .  we can take another photoshoot at your mom's tailor shop on Sunday."

Mosa's eyes looked to her right. It was as if she was thinking about his suggestion before she returned her gaze on him.

"I think that's a good idea. Para sa portfolio, makita ni Sir Belmonte ang comparison ng design under a studio setting and under an actual use of the dress, right in the middle of the party."

"Exactly," sang-ayon niya kahit si Mosa naman talaga ang nakaisip ng ideyang sinabi nito. He just could not think straight because of mixed emotions.

"Iyon lang ba? Because I have to prepare for my next class, Curtis. I want to draw here alone as well," she said so coolly he could feel how cold she was being to him, no matter how subtle she tried to.

Curtis lowered his head. "I just want to ask . . . LQ pa rin ba kayo ni Kuya?"

Dama niya na napatitig sa kaniya nang matagal si Mosa bago ito sumagot. "Bakit mo naman naitanong?"

"Kanina lang kasi . . ." Pinag-aaralan niya ang tila kakulangan ng reaksiyon sa mukha ni Mosa. "Parang may tampuhan kayo?"

"Oh, about that," Mosa smirked and nodded her head. "We're just having a typical argument about our attires for the Valentine's Ball!"

Nagsalubong ang kaniyang mga kilay. "Attires?"

Mosa nodded with a smile. "He's my date for the Valentine's Ball, so we're supposed to wear matching outfits. But he said he didn't like to get a purple suit. Ano raw ba siya, si Joker?"

Sinundan iyon ng walang-buhay at maikling pagtawa ng dalaga.

Mosa continued. "Why? Are you worried that we argued about something else?"

Narinig niya ang huling sinabi ni Mosa, pero mabilis na naglaho iyon sa kaniyang isip. His thoughts were swiftly occupied by fears and disappointments.

'So . . . Claude did not tell her the truth? Hanggang kailan niya planong lokohin si Mosa?' gimbal niyang isip bago wala sa huwisyo na napabulalas. "Alam mo ba na—" Maagap niyang pinigilan ang sarili nang may maalala. 'Wala akong ebidensiya . . . Wala na! Pa'no ko mapapatunayan kay Mosa na totoo ang sasabihin ko?'

"Alam na?" hilig uli nito ng ulo, mataman na namang nakatitig sa kaniya.

Napayuko na lang ng ulo si Curtis. "Na . . . na wala akong date sa Valentine's Ball?"

"Oh, really? Akala ko ba, si Freya?"

"Well . . ."

Nag-iisip pa lang siya ng idadahilan nang magsalita uli si Mosa.

"Freya's with me all the time, Curtis. Hindi ko naman nahalata na hindi na pala tuloy ang pagiging magka-date n'yo."

He shrugged. "I . . . I don't know about that . . ."

'Ang tigas din ng mukha ng babaeng iyon. Palagi pa rin siyang nakadikit kay Mosa? Pa'no niya nakakayang magpanggap nang gano'n?'

"Do you want me to help you find you one?"

Nagpipigil ng luha na nag-angat ng tingin si Curtis. Hindi niya mapigilan ang pananakit ng kaniyang dibdib dahil nadudurog ang kaniyang puso. Sa mga oras na ito kasi, nakatitig siya sa mukha ng isang babae na walang-kamalay-malay na niloloko na pala ng mga taong malapit dito. Mosa did not deserve that, and he could not even do anything about it.

Then, a realization dawned on him—the reason why he was so scared until this point was not because of how this conversation would go. It was because of Mosa's demeanor throughout their talk. Her coldness toward him, her lifeless eyes, and emotionless chuckles. Her constant head-tilting as if she was trying to see him a different angle . . .

He was feeling scared, intimidated of her because she was starting to behave like someone else . . .

Like someone he didn't know . . .

He could not read her well anymore! He could not guess what was running on her mind or what her gestures meant!

 "No need to find me a date, I guess. I just . . . I just informed you, just so you know."

"So it means, you're still coming to the party, ha? I'll expect you there."

Napamaang siya saglit dito. "There?"

"Of course!" Natatawang pinanlakihan siya nito ng mga mata. Maging ang pagtawa nito ay tila walang laman. "Dahil kukuhanan mo 'ko ng picture sa dress na susuotin ko para sa portfolio ko. Remember?"

Napahiyang tumango-tango siya. "Yes. Yes. Sorry." Nagmamadaling tumayo si Curtis at inayos ang pagkakasukbit ng bag. Kailangan na niyang umalis bago pa makahalata si Mosa sa pagka-disoriented niya. "I'm going now. You need to prepare for your next class now, right?"

Mosa gave him a stare too serene he felt uncomfortable with it. "Exactly. Thanks for dropping by, Curtis."

He politely gave her a nod before turning to leave the Student Council Office.

***

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IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HEAT
La Grilla Series #2
Copyright: 2024
R-18, General Fiction, Sexy Romance, Drama

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